NCAA President Mark Emmert calls for ‘scholarships for life’, other reforms

NCAA President Mark Emmert calls for ‘scholarships for life’, other reforms

WASHINGTON -- NCAA President Mark Emmert told a Senate committee Wednesday he supports "scholarships for life" and other reforms in how athletes are treated.

Emmert faced a Senate Commerce Committee and said he feels college sports "works extremely well for the vast majority" and the overall current model of amateurism should be preserved. But he listed several changes he'd like to see enacted.

In addition to the end of the standard year-to-year scholarships, he said scholarships should also cover the full cost of attending college, not just basics such as room and board.

MARK EMMERT TESTIMONY

NCAA President Mark Emmert testified Wednesday about the value of college sports before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation.
• Full written testimony

He also called for better health, safety and insurance protocols and said universities must confront what he called the "national crisis" of sexual assault.

Emmert said such changes could come about if Division I schools decide to remake their decision-making structure in the coming weeks, giving more authority to the five biggest conferences.

He reiterated that the schools themselves are in charge of the rules and emphasized the challenge of creating a consensus among college presidents, coaches and athletic directors.

The hearing came as the NCAA faces pressure from multiple fronts to reform how athletes are treated and compensated.

The organization is awaiting a judge's ruling following a three-week trial in Oakland, California, in which former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon and others are seeking a share of revenues from the use of their names, images and likenesses in broadcasts and video games.

Also, former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter is leading a push to form the first union for college athletes.

Emmert testified in the O'Bannon trial, where he opposed any effort to pay players because it would destroy the bedrock of amateurism on which college sports is based.

There have been moves, however, to pay more attention to the athlete's concerns. Emmert noted that multiyear scholarships were recently reinstated after being banned for close to four decades. The Big Ten last month came in support of guaranteed four-year scholarships and improved medical coverage for athletes.